Cursed Blood
by raven watson
Summary: Inuyasha lost his mother violently and vows to kill all humans like the man who killed his mother. He now searches for the Mikaito. A powerful object. He meets some interesting people along the way. One of which confuses him and his feelings about humans.
1. Cursed Blood: Prologue

this is my first story on here. Please read and review! characters from Inuyasha are © Rumiko Takahashi. Cursed Blood is ©Raven Watson. Thanks for reading! Chpt's 1 and 2 coming soon!

Prologue: The Beginning of Cursed Blood

A little boy was sitting by the biggest window in his small home. His mother was cooking behind him humming her sweet lullabies. The boy's ears twitched at her melody. He loved his mothers' lullabies almost as much as he loved his mother. He looked away from the window to gaze at her. Although he was young, he knew that his mother was beautiful. It was not because of the looks she got while she passed, nor because of the men that often called upon her asking for her hand. The boy did not yet understand such things very well, thinking that it wasn't unusual for single mothers to have a line of suitors behind her, in truth it was the opposite. He hardly noticed the smooth lines of her pale face, nor the perfect slope of her almond eyes, nor the slender body that she moved so gracefully. No, the boy knew his mother was beautiful because he could see the warmth and love that almost emanated from her being.

The Lady Izayoi was the kindest woman most had ever met. Her son knew that she was special, more so than what other people realized. Maybe he was able to see her unfailing kindness so easily because hatred was often spewed at him from the other people in his village. He still didn't really understand why they hated him so much, although he knew that it had something to do with his father. The villagers sometimes sent sad, pitying looks to his mother and disgusted, hateful eyes at him. He had once over heard a group of men talking about his mother and him after they had passed.

"Poor Lady Izayoi," one of the men had thought aloud.

"Huh?" said another man, "Why? What's wrong with her? She looks beautiful to me, it doesn't matter that she has a whelp at her heels." The man laughed. The first man shook his head knowingly to the second man.

"You know nothing, then. The Lady's honor was taken from her by a demon. Disgraced and shamed she left our village for a long time. When she finally came back, that whelp as you so call him was with her. We forgive her for she is beautiful and who could help but want her? But that child of hers," the man leaned to the other man's ear and whispered, "a hanyou!" The boy turned around to see the first man giving the second man a knowing look while the other man's eyes grew wide with fright.

The boy drew away from his memory and looked back out the window contemplating the word he had heard that day. 'Hanyou.' the man had said it almost like a curse but it still meant nothing to the boy. He was afraid to ask his mother because he knew she would get upset. Her eyes always took on that sorrowful look if he asked her about the names he was called or asked why the villagers hated him so. He knew just what she would do. She would look at him with those sad, sad eyes and whisper to him, "Oh, my dear little Inuyasha!" Ever since the one day when he had come home beaten and bloody, when his mother had seen him and broke down in tears hugging him tight enough without hurting him more, he had swore to never hurt her like that again with his lack of understanding toward the other villagers. He hated to see his mother cry and would do anything to prevent it.

He had once thought that maybe if he looked more like them they would stop hating him so much. He had covered his very unnatural ears and hair with a more natural black wig. He had asked his mother once why he looked so different from everyone else. Why did he not have ears like her? And why was his hair white? His mother had smiled warmly and said that they were gifts from his father and he should never be ashamed of them nor of any other differences he might have of other people.

His ear, the one that looked so much like a dog's ear, twitched at the top of his head as he heard his mother walk up behind him. She draped her arms around his shoulders enveloping him in her scent. Inuyasha closed his eyes and breathed in the warm smell he could only describe as summer. It was warm and sweet but not overbearingly so, reminding him of a meadow he used to play in before they came back to his mother's village. Inuyasha sighed and leaned back against his mother. The Lady Izayoi kissed the top of his head in between his ears.

"What are you staring at, love?" she asked quietly, her thick, dreamy voice sliding over him. This was a game they often played. His mother's eyes were much poorer in the dark than the eyes his father had given him. Inuyasha smiled and looked out the window. His home was on the edge of the village and the biggest window faced away from the village out across the wide clearing that came before the forest that surrounded most of the village. Inuyasha could see things moving in the dark.

"There's a mother doe and her fawn. They're grazing at the edge of the village. They seem relaxed and calm. A fox keeps jumping in and out of the berry bushes looking for someone to play with," he smiled brighter as he felt more than heard his mothers laughter, "There's some rabbits a few feet out and they keep eyeing the fox, but the fox doesn't seem interested in them," Inuyasha frowned, "The deer are on guard, something's scared them. I think they might have heard us because they're staring right in this direction. Oh," he looked up at his mother, "they've all gone." Inuyasha wondered at his mother's concentrated look. She hardly ever looked serious. "Mother?" Lady Izayoi looked down at him distractedly and smiled though it never reached her eyes.

"It's nothing, love, I'm sure everything's fine." She patted his shoulder and turned back to her cooking. Inuyasha sniffed the air. He could smell her anxiety, but said nothing. 'Wait a minute,' Inuyasha sniffed again. There was something else beyond the delicious aroma of his mother's cooking. Something that smelled dangerous, and familiar. And it was at the door.

"Mom?" She looked at him then creased her brow in worry and looked where her son was looking. A pounding came from the door that made Lady Izayoi jump. She brought a shaky hand to her throat. She began walking to the door as the pounding came again.

"W… Who is it?" She called, trying to keep the fear from her voice. 'No, it couldn't be…'

"Heh, who do you think?" came the reply. Inuyasha's mother paled as she heard the grated voice smirk at her through the door. Inuyasha's bristles went up as he smelled his mother's increasing fear.

"What do you want, Nikorai?" Lady Izayoi yelled, keeping the terror that she felt from sneaking into her voice. She knew he wouldn't be fooled, but at least his men wouldn't have the honor of knowing she was afraid. And she knew he had men following him, he never went to see anyone he was going to humiliate without an entourage that could witness strength and cruelty.

"Heh, heh, well I want you, of course, my beautiful Izayoi." Izayoi felt bile run up her throat as she heard his and his men's muffled laughter through the door. She looked to her son. His dog ears were flattened against his head and his pupils were pinpricks as they darted from the door to his mother. He didn't know what was going on; he just knew she was afraid.

"Go away, Nikorai. I gave you my answer before and it has yet to change. Now leave!" She knew her face was a sickly pale color and that her hands were sweating, but her repressed anger grew inside her. The anger towards the mistreatment of her son, the anger towards those impossible suitor's who would marry her if she only left her 'deformed' son behind her, and the deep rage at the impudence of the villagers she had once thought of as friends thinking her beloved Taisho had taken her in a dishonorable manner to bed her. To think of them taking down to the greatest inu-youkai lord ever to walk these lands. Her pale face began to regain color as her fury kicked in. She hadn't noticed the foreboding silence that came from the other side of the door. She turned to Inuyasha as he growled then gasped as splinters exploded into the room as her door was knocked down. Lady Izayoi turned to the evil man who had been on the other side of the door. The rage she had worked up suddenly melted from her very bones replaced by an almost primal fear as she saw what was before her. Nikorai stared at her with eyes as cold as ice. When she shuddered he smiled a wicked smile that sent a wave of panic through her. She needed to run! To escape! But she couldn't. She couldn't do anything but stand there, hardly breathing and stare into the eyes of death itself.

The man took a step toward her grinning wider at the automatic tensing of her body. As he took another step she prayed that her fear would break just enough for her to move. On the third step she felt movement to her right and watched as Nikorai's smile faded and he looked down at her son. _Her son!_ She couldn't lose it! She had to protect Inuyasha! She looked down at the small boy that stood between his mother and evil and felt a strange surge of pride. Her son had his ears back and his teeth bared, he was growling a deep vibration low in his throat. She looked up at Nikorai just as he looked back up at her. He had a cold and careless scowl on his face.

"Tame your mutt before I have to teach it a lesson." Inuyasha growled louder and tensed as if to pounce when he felt his mother's hand on his shoulder. Inuyasha looked up to his beautiful mother and felt awe for the first time. His mother had lost her potent smell of fear and now stared ahead at Nikorai with disdain and a strange confidence.

"You shall never refer to my son like that again," she said calmly. No one would guess how angry and terrified she truly felt. She moved Inuyasha behind her then looked at the man before her, "do you understand me, Nikorai?" She saw his look of disgust that he shot at her son and rage overpowered her fear. "You will respect my son, Nikorai. He is the son of the greatest Inu no Taisho to ever live!" Nikorai had the audacity to laugh at her.

"_That_ is a son of the Inu no Taisho? He doesn't look like a lord to me! He looks more like a half-breed bastard son of a mongrel!" he snickered, "and you're the mongrel's bitch." Izayoi hadn't thought about it, she hadn't even realized she was on the verge of doing it, but once she saw her hand backslap that son of a bitches face so hard he stumbled a bit she couldn't help but smile.

"My son has more nobility in him than you could ever dream to pretend to have. You are _scum_ Nikorai, you hear me? Even if I was a mongrel's bitch, I wouldn't be your woman more than I would be the woman of the shit on your shoes." She didn't know where this was all coming from. Never before had been blinded by so much rage that she let the foul mouthed language of the drunks she used to scoff at leave her lips. For once she forgot about being a proper woman, a proper lady and allowed herself the freedom of just being a woman, and, more importantly, a mother.

Inuyasha stared up at his mother's face. She was smiling strangely, an odd glint in her eye. He looked at the man who was still turned away from them, a bright red mark plastered across his face. His mother had enjoyed hitting this man! He could smell a change in her. Something was different. Instead of the calming sensation he usually got from her scent, he felt agitated and angry. The scent his mother was giving off made him feel like there was a storm in full swing inside him. If he hadn't been so shocked he might have seen it coming, but once he realized what was happening it was too late. The evil man had moved so fast, slamming his fist into his mother's face sending her crashing to the ground.

"YOU BITCH!" He screamed. "How DARE you fucking refuse me and say that half-breed is better than me! ME! ARG!" Inuyasha took a moment to get over the shock then had leapt at the man's throat. Nikorai ripped the biting half-demon from his throat and threw him against the wall. Inuyasha slammed his head against the wall first, stars bursting across his vision. He felt himself drop to the floor and lay there trying to get the world to stop darting around him. He heard a cry and new his mother had seen.

"Oh Kami, Nikorai! He's just a boy!" Inuyasha heard another cry and smelled his mother's blood. 'Damnit, why can't I move?' Inuyasha struggled with all his might and forced himself to rise. He heard Nikorai's evil laughter behind him.

"So little pup, trying to fight for your mother's honor?" he laughed along with his men, "Don't you know your mother is a demon's whore?" Rage filled Inuyasha and he leapt at the man again, though this time, Nikorai was expecting it. Nikorai caught Inuyasha by the throat and tossed the small half-demon to his men. "Hold onto that little fuck while I take what's mine." Nikorai laughed again and stared down at the woman he held to the kitchen table. She stared up into his eyes, a different kind of darkness filling them. 'Oh Kami…' was all she could think as Nikorai crushed his lips upon hers. Disgust filled her and bile rose in her throat as he slobbered all over her lips and face. Tears threatened as thoughts raced through her mind. 'STOP! I have to stop him!' Her hands raced over the table trying to find some sort of weapon. She could hear her son snarling across the room and Nikorai's men yelling at him trying to get him under control. She prayed they would be distracted enough for her to find a nearby weapon, a pot, a fork, a spoon, anything! Then her hand grasped onto something and her eyes widened. Nikorai continued slobbering down her neck and groping her over her clothing. She held tight to the object she had found and prayed for Kami to forgive her. Then she raised her hand as high as she could and then plunged it downward in a swift and angry movement.Nikorai screamed in agony and shot off of her. He reached behind him and pulled a nine inch cutting blade from his back. His eyes narrowed at her.

"That was very unwise, Izayoi." Inuyasha watched in slow motion as Nikorai raised the blade. He watched his mother's eyes widen in fear as the blade was thrust into her chest. She didn't even scream just looked in surprise at the blade in her chest, then at Inuyasha. She tried to ask for forgiveness with her eyes, tried to relay all the love she felt for him and sorrow she felt for her actions. All Inuyasha could really see were the tears falling down her blood stained cheeks. He watched in shocked horror as Nikorai pulled the blade from her chest and brought it down once more into her throat. The once beautiful Izayoi tried to cry out but could manage only a strange gurgle as blood filled her mouth.

Inuyasha watched as his beloved mother's eyes dimmed and her body went limp. Inuyasha went very, very still. 'Momma?' she didn't move, 'Momma!' Nikorai took the blade from her throat causing some of it to splatter all over him. Inuyasha could smell nothing but his mother's life blood. 'She's dead?' Inuyasha looked up at Nikorai with wide, confused eyes. 'Why?' The man who killed his mother walked over to him slowly, trying to hide the pain from his own wound. He smiled cruelly at the now orphaned boy.

"Your whore of a mother is dead, dog. Guess we have to put you down." Nikorai looked at one of the men who stood behind Inuyasha and held his shoulders. Nikorai grabbed Inuyasha by the throat and brought the blade back. Inuyasha didn't even think as he moved out of the way, wrenching is neck from Nikorai's grasp, forcing Nikorai to stab the man who had been behind Inuyasha. Nikorai grunted in disapproval then ripped his blade from his comrade's stomach then turned to see the puny half-demon leaping towards him. He hadn't had enough time to avoid and was knocked down by the pup. Inuyasha's baby fangs sank into Nikorai's throat. Despite their childishness, Nikorai cried out in pain. Nikorai punched the half-demon in the face repeatedly trying to get him to release. Finally one of his men came and kicked Inuyasha in the side forcing an 'Oof' from him and throwing him against the other wall.

Inuyasha opened up his eyes with difficulty. He knew he was probably in trouble, but it didn't matter, his mother was dead, what was the point of living? He ignored the pain in his body and tried to get up. He cried out in pain when he put weight on his right arm and fell back to the floor. Great, his arm was broken. He ignored his blurry vision and watched the shadow across the room stand up with help from his men. Inuyasha looked down; the height difference hurt his head. That's when he saw something shiny. He sniffed the air to see what it was and smelled his mothers' murder weapon. He looked up to see Nikorai approaching slowly. Inuyasha blinked some of the blurriness away. 'For mother,' was all he thought as he moved his protesting, broken body across the floor and towards his mothers' killer. Inuyasha dodged Nikorai's arm and stabbed the man in the throat. The man clutched his hands as his eyes bugged out and he fell to the floor. Blood spurted from his mouth as he tried to speak and blood poured from the wound. Inuyasha raged inside as the light in his eyes dimmed.

"You died too easily," he thought allowed. It was a mistake. One of Nikorai's men came up behind Inuyasha and punched him in the stomach. Another came and kicked him in the face. Suddenly all around him there was nothing but pain. Slowly darkness crept around his senses. 'I'm sorry mother,' was all he could think as he died, 'I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough for you.' and then his world went dark.


	2. The Devil Card

Read and review please! I don't want to keep writing this if no one's going to tell me if it rocks or sucks. i need motivation damnit! er...i mean, please R & R!

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Chapter 1: The Devil Card

The sun had just risen and yet the streets were crawling with those filthy humans already. Inuyasha walked through the city streets that his quest had brought him to. He gripped the demon sword that he had stolen from his inu-youkai family and shook the black wig hair from his eyes. Whenever he was forced to mingle with the putrid humans he tried to look as human as possible, although he never found a way to hide the golden color of his eyes. Passerbies would sometimes stare at him and his unusual eyes, but he could tell they were more surprised than afraid. They had no idea he was a demon.

Inuyasha stopped at one of the many carts selling random trinkets and food and waited until the shop keeper got up enough courage to talk to him.

"Y..Yes my fine s..sir? How may I h..help you?" The shop keeper was short with balding black hair. He could smell the keepers fear and cowardice. Inuyasha felt his disdain distort his face. The keepers smell increased with the angry look that he got.

"Where is the gypsy camp?" he growled.

"Th…there i…isn't one, sir." The man stammered.

"Keh, fine then where is the Lady Myato?" The shop keepers' eyes widened at the name.

"Why on earth would you want to see her?" he said in surprise. Inuyasha lashed out and grabbed the keeper by his collar.

"It's none of your damn business why I want to see her! Just tell me where the hell she is!" The keeper pointed down the street to his left.

"D..down the street, p..past the bakers shop. She's in the big tent! P…please, d…don't hurt me!" Inuyasha sneered at the man and let him fall to the ground. Humans were so weak and cowardly.

Inuyasha began walking down the dusty street where the man had pointed. The streets were getting even more crowded and their stink crept into Inuyasha's nose. He tried to blow the stench out but was rewarded with even more of their stench. Inuyasha had spent way too much time away from humans to be suddenly thrown into a cesspool of them. He just wasn't used to so many animal smells in one space.

Inuyasha brought the sleeve of his red haori up to his nose to try to block the scents. It lessened it a bit. He was grateful when the large light brown tent came into view, and he was even more grateful when he saw the lack of people near it. Apparently the humans liked Lady Myato less than they liked Inuyasha's true guise. Inuyasha smiled to himself. Well, that was a bit of an exaggeration, people usually ran in terror when they saw him with his fangs bared and his ears showing.

Inuyasha's smile faded as he reached the tent. There was an odd smell coming from it, one of extreme power. Inuyasha stretched his hand tentatively toward the tent. Sparks shimmered around his fingers a foot away from the tents edge. "Feh, so this is why those humans won't walk on this side of the street. There's a barrier." That's when Inuyasha saw the sign hanging to the right of the tents' door. 'Back in 15 minutes? Gah!' Inuyasha slumped down to the ground grumpily and crossed his arms, a pout hinting on his face. Guess he just had to sit here until Myato came and took the barrier off.

About 20 minutes later Inuyasha still sat outside Myato's tent. His pout was long gone and a bored, zoned out look covered his face. He had been irritated, then angry, then red faced furious but that had all subdued into his boredom. He had resorted to people watching and sometimes laughed at the idiocies of the humans that past. Like the man who had kept flirting with the woman who just wanted to run away from him and yet the man was oblivious. Or the child who had dropped his candy on the dirty road, then picked it up, studied it for a minute, then popped it back in his mouth, dirt and all. Eventually the passerby's had just started blurring together. That's when he smelled it.

His head whipped to attention as he sniffed the air for another draft of that smell, that familiar smell that seemed so good. He looked up and down the street trying to pin a person to the scent. When he saw her, he froze. 'Mother?' he thought, then shook his head. 'No! Mother is dead and has been for 10 years, get over it.' Inuyasha sent a cautious eye to the woman he had seen his mother's image imposed on. He tilted his head a bit as he studied her. She was pretty, in that human way some women were, but in truth she didn't look anything like his mother.

The raven haired girl was tall and slender, but not lanky. She wore white and red priestess robes and carried a basket filled with fruit and other food. Her hair floated behind her unbound as she walked briskly down his side of the street. He was surprised that the barrier's aura hadn't gotten to her like it did to everyone else, making them walk on the opposite side of the street unconsciously. The girl's face was strangely calm and appealing, and she smelled so…so good. The only way he could describe it was that she smelled fresh and clear, like a spring shower when the sun still shines. He couldn't stop himself from staring at her as she passed. Then she looked at him and smiled. Her whole face lit up as she gave him that one happy look. Inuyasha didn't even realize he had stopped breathing. 'She smiled at me.' was all he could think. Wait, smiled? She didn't even bat an eyelash at his golden eyes. Inuyasha watched as she turned the corner and left his sight, her scent lingering before him. 'I wonder who she was.'

Inuyasha shivered suddenly and looked beside him at the Lady Myato's tent. The barrier had dissipated. He had seen no one come to the tent or from the tent, but the sign was gone and the tent's flap was now open. Inuyasha poked his head through.

"Hello?" He called out to the dark. His eyes, despite their demon qualities, still took a moment to adjust to the darkness of a room after being in the bright light. It was only a moment later when the outline of a small square table and two chairs came into focus. His eyesight suddenly snapped into view and he could see every detail of the tents' insides.

The tent was very large and there was another flap towards the back leading to another room. The walls seemed bare at first but then Inuyasha noticed that the walls he could see out of the corner of his eyes looked completely different. Now that he knew the blank walls were just an illusion, the image faded.

There were shelves stacked all around the room and on those shelves were tons of junk. There were figurines and jars filled with gross looking things. There were crystals and rocks and a lot of pressed plants. What Inuyasha was most drawn to were the mirrors that were scattered around the shelves. He counted over fifty different looking mirrors all pointing to the table in the middle of the room. He was wondering what they were for when an old woman came from the rear room.

The woman was withered and her eyes were dull. Inuyasha thought that if she wasn't already blind she would be soon. She wore a plain brown robe and a single ring made of gold. She didn't look at Inuyasha until she sat down in the red over stuffed chair at the head of the table. She motioned for him to sit in the plain brown chair across from her. Inuyasha sneered at her for directing him but still followed her orders.

"I take it your Lady Myato." Inuyasha said. Her faded eyes stared right into his.

"What do you want of me, demon?" she asked, curiosity in her face. Inuyasha smiled.

"So you can tell I'm a demon, even with your poor sight?" It was her turn to smile.

"Even with these blind eyes, I see better than you ever will." Inuyasha frowned.

"I want you to help me find something. I was told only you would be able to guide me." The lady shook her head.

"I hope you left poor Kito alive after he told you." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes.

"He said you two never met."

"Aye, but your memories are shown plain to me, as are your desires. Such as yours to kill Kito for his weaknesses." Inuyasha leaned back in his chair with an air of arrogance.

"I probably should have killed him. He gave you up without a moment's hesitation." Myato laughed.

"Because you had him hanging in the air by his throat!" Inuyasha shrugged.

"He needed to be put in his place."

"And what place would that be?" she inquired.

"He was scum. He needed to realize it and realize that scum had no business talking down to one such as me." Lady Myato chuckled again.

"Tis true that he deserved it and has been a pious man since. But your darkness will give you nothing but pain if you indulge it, Inuyasha." Inuyasha glared at her.

"How do you know my name, woman?" he growled. Lady Myato laughed.

"Calm down, Inuyasha. You came to me because I have the power to find what you seek, did you not? Is it _that_ surprising to you that I would know your name? Or be able to sense your past or your desires?" she shook her head, "Inuyasha, I am probably the only person who knows you as you do. I know everything about you, and I know this only because you walked into this room." Inuyasha looked to the side.

"The mirrors?" He wondered. Lady Myato clapped her hands and laughed.

"Yes! So you _can_ see them! I figured you would defeat the mirage. Haha, imagine, the only one to see through my petty spell would be one with demon blood." Inuyasha laughed.

"That surprises you? Humans are stupid." Myato shook her head.

"You're wrong, Inuyasha. Humans are not stupid, well at least not all of them. They merely believe the first thing they see and don't usually question it," Inuyasha shrugged as he crossed his arms, "Tell me, Inuyasha. Why have you come? I know you came to find something, but your wish is, well, dark. You won't let me see it. So ask." Inuyasha leaned forward eagerly.

"I was told you would lead me to the Mikaito. I was told that this Mikaito thing would grant me any wish I desired." Myato shook her head sadly.

"You do not know what the Mikaito is, do you?" Inuyasha leaned back with a stubborn look on his face.

"Of course not! If I knew I'd be out looking for it instead of being here!" Myato sighed.

"I will tell you Inuyasha, of this thing that you seek. I will also tell you how to find it," she looked up to him pleadingly, "but you must promise to heed my warning!"

"And what warning would that be woman?"

"If you follow this path of bloodlust and darkness you will lose yourself to your demon side," she frowned at the look in his eye, "and though you may desire that, you should remember, your demon side is but an animal. Demons may not admit it, but they all have a bit of humanity in them. Without that bit of humanity they would be left with only their desire to kill, and kill they would. They would destroy friends, enemies and strangers. Anything in their path would die." Inuyasha gave her a disbelieving look, "The blood in your veins, is no better, Inuyasha." Inuyasha gave her a very low growl.

"Do not insult me again, human. This blood in my veins grants me the ability to reach across the table and rip out your throat before you have a chance to blink." Myato sighed.

"Just remember my warning," she whispered. "Alright, I'll tell you what the Mikaito is, or more aptly, who the Mikaito is," Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, "The Mikaito is the name that is given to the cursed family whose lives mean nothing and their deaths everything. If you kill a single member of the family then you are granted a single wish. If you kill four members, you are granted four wishes. Anyone who has met a Mikaito and learned their secret has killed the Mikaito they knew. It has never mattered if that person was a lover, a friend, a neighbor. Once their secret is revealed, they die." Myato leaned forward, "You aren't searching for an object, Inuyasha, you are searching for a person. You must murder that person, only then will you get your wish." Inuyasha shrugged.

"No biggie, I've killed before, remember? Or did you lie about knowing my past?" Myato sighed, "Just tell me how to find this person, or Mikaito, whatever!"

Lady Myato nodded and sat back, smoothing her ancient robes with her withered hands. She pulled a pack of cards out of a hidden pocket and took of its binding. Inuyasha watched as she began shuffling the cards. "Think of what you desire to find Inuyasha." Her voice had gone low and husky. She began to shuffle faster as Inuyasha thought of the Mikaito. Her blind eyes rolled back in her head and she stopped shuffling. With graceful strokes she laid out 7 cards. She lay down the devil, the blue circle, the mother, the gold triangle, the red water, the female, and finally the black heart.

"You have a vast challenge before you. This card represents you," she pointed to the devil card, "And this," she pointed to the blue circle card, "represents your desire for a wish to be granted. The mother card represents your past and the gold triangle represents the next step to find the Mikaito. This here," she pointed to the red water card, "tells me that you have a powerful enemy who desires your death and will steal that which you seek. The female card confuses me. Either the female is the Mikaito or you're using the Mikaito to get a female. Or she's going to lead you directly to the Mikaito." Myato leaned back in her chair and brought her fingers to her head, "I just can't see what it means. But…" she squinted to the left side of the tent. Inuyasha looked at what she was looking at and saw only a blank mirror. Her blind eyes flicked back and forth as if seeing something flick across the mirrors surface. Her eyes widened then she laughed, "Oh yes, she will certainly be trouble for you Inuyasha," she turned back to him, "The female will lead you to the Mikaito," she said definitively, "But beware Inuyasha," she pointed to the black heart, "A difficult decision will be left up to you. And many lives will depend on that decision." She gave Inuyasha a steely eye, but he tactfully ignored it.

"Just tell me what I should do next. What does the gold triangle mean?"

"You must go to the Red Layered Inn on the opposite side of this city. There you will meet a man with a curse. Help him with his curse to find the one who caused it. Once you find the one who caused the curse, the Mikaito won't be far behind." She watched as Inuyasha stood up.

"Thanks, old woman." He threw a medium bag of gold on the table skewing the cards. She shook her head as she watched him walk away.


	3. The Golden Triangle

Hey guys! thanks for all the reads, now just for some reviews! Read and review please! and yes i dont own inuyasha yadda yadda, that's all rumiko takahashi and if you didnt know i didnt own them then, you're just plain silly now arent ya?

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Chapter 2: The Golden Triangle

The Inn wasn't as far as the Lady Myato had made it seem, but then again he was a demon and an hour for a human took him less than five minutes. He had leapt across the roof tops trying to keep his demon self hidden a little longer. He had kept low knowing that humans didn't usually look up, but he didn't want to take the chance of the unusual.

He had dropped down in a back alley of the inn hoping that no bums were using it as a camp out. When he confirmed that no one had noticed him, he slipped out from the shadows of the building and into the sunlight. He looked up at the wooden sign that labeled the building the Red Layered Inn. It looked rather shoddy to be what he would call an inn. It looked more like a brothel. Inuyasha shrugged and stepped through the door.

It was dark inside and smelled of stale beer and smoke. He could also smell the leftovers of quick sex and feeble arousals. Inuyasha sneered. It wasn't a brothel house but it was pretty damn close. Probably the only difference was the women were cheaper here.

The lobby was more like a tavern with small circular tables littering the floor and a bar counter with stools in the back. There were identical stairways on the left and right of the front door that led to a second floor. There was an open walkway that encircled the room. Doors were placed every ten feet making for very small rooms beyond those doors. There were a few doors on the main level. Inuyasha could tell one was the men's room (he didn't see a ladies room) and he could smell a kitchen beyond another door. He figured by the stench coming from two of the doors that they were the same deal as the top floor but the last door smelled cleaner. He figured the people who worked there lived and recouped beyond that door.

There were men sitting randomly around the room and one man at the bar. Women of varying beauty degrees were mingling here and there trying to get the guys to go to a room with them. He didn't see anyone with an obvious curse hanging over them so he listened to the rooms around him. His sensitive ears told him that several of the rooms were occupied. Only one had just started and two were almost done, the rest were going to be gone for a while yet. Inuyasha sneered and walked to the bar. He sat a few stools away from the man who was slumped at the bar. Inuyasha ordered a beer and waited for a clue to who this cursed one was to appear. Thirty minutes and 3 beers later, a man with a big contented smile sat a seat away from Inuyasha.

"Hey, Toshi, get me a beer would ya?" Toshi the bartender smiled.

"No problem, how was your time with Hikari?" The man smiled wistfully.

"Ah, the lovely Hikari. She was magnificent, as always." The man chuckled, "But I fear that my dear Sayuri is a bit annoyed that I chose Hikari instead of her." Toshi laughed.

"Miroku, you sly bastard. You want those two to fight over you!" Miroku shrugged.

"What can I say? The ladies love me!" the two men laughed. Inuyasha was mentally killing the two men for being so, so, crude. He hoped that he would find the man with the curse so he could get the hell out of this stinking rat hole. Toshi laughed at some dirty thing that Miroku had said to him. Inuyasha studied the man. Miroku was almost if not as tall as himself. He had dark hair with a tiny pony-tail in the back. His dark eyes smiled in a way that Inuyasha could only describe as perverted. The man's black and purple robe that looked suspiciously like the robes of a Buddhist monk draped lazily around his elbows and feet. He had a golden staff with a ring on top and several other rings connected to the bigger one. Miroku's right hand had a purple cloth wrapped around it with prayer beads securing the cloth. 'What the hell?' Inuyasha thought. He sniffed in Miroku's direction. There was a faint but strange smell that came from him. 'fuck.'

"Hey, you!" Inuyasha called to the man a few stools down. Miroku looked innocently at Inuyasha and pointed at himself.

"Me, sir?"

"Yeah, you. What the hells up with your hand?" Yeah, he knew he was going about this the wrong way, but how else do you ask if they're some cursed freak? Miroku sighed.

"It's a long and sorrowful tale my friend, I shall not bore you with it." With that he turned back to the bartender. Toshi shook his head then looked over Miroku's shoulder and smiled warmly.

"Hello, Sayuri."

"Hello Toshi," the girl purred in reply. She draped her arms around Miroku's shoulder, "Hi there, Miroku." Miroku smiled smugly.

"Why hello Sayuri, I didn't know you were working today!" Sayuri pouted and batted her eyes.

"How can you be so cruel, Miroku! And after all the good times we had!" Miroku looked at her with concern.

"My dearest!" he proclaimed, "Forgive me, had I known you were here I would never have gone up those 17 steps without you, my lovely flower, at my arm." Sayuri gave him a blush, one that Inuyasha figured she could call at will, then her eyes widened a little and she gave him a light tap on the cheek.

"What are you doing, grabbing me without even taking me upstairs? I know you were with Hikari instead of me," she pouted, "And now you think you can get a free grab? I'm ashamed of you monk!"

"So you actually _are_ a monk!" Inuyasha blurted. Miroku narrowed his eyes as Inuyasha laughed at him.

"What's so funny?" Miroku asked nonchalantly. Inuyasha snickered.

"Nothing, I've just never seen such a perverted monk before." Inuyasha had expected the monk to be angry but he merely shrugged.

"How can I resist grabbing an ass that is as wonderful as Sayuri's?" Miroku grabbed her hands and smiled up at her. She smiled seductively to him and leaned closer.

"Darling, Miroku. How you flatter me!" she laughed a low smoky purr then pulled away from Miroku, "If you truly wanted to flatter me you would have come straight to me, lover." She shrugged gracefully, "Unfortunately now that you've ignored me I must retire for the night." She smiled at Toshi and Inuyasha, "Goodnight, gentlemen. Goodnight, _dear_ Monk." She had put as much acid in the dear as she could, and seeing as she was the best in the Red Layered Inn, Miroku could almost feel his skin being melted off by her words. Miroku watched Sayuri walk away wistfully staring at her swaying hips. He turned to Inuyasha who was laughing hysterically at him.

"_Now _what's so funny?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha gasped for air.

"Man, she told you! Hahaha!" Inuyasha pounded the counter with his fist, "Being pushed around by a _girl_? Haha, you are so whipped by women!" Again, instead of getting angry the monk shrugged.

"What's your name, friend?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha smiled.

"I'll tell you if you tell me what's up with your hand. Why are there prayer beads around them?" Miroku sighed. He didn't really care that much about the strangers' name, but for some reason felt the need to tell him.

"There is this…_thing_ in my hand. Without the cloth or beads this thing would suck everything around me into my hand. My family was cursed a long time ago by some demon family." He looked up at Inuyasha shrugging, "My grandfather was a lech and ended up grabbing the wrong woman's, or should I say demon's, ass. The demon happened to be a shape shifter who my grandfather had been hunting to destroy. The demon was royally pissed, one that its disguise as the kings daughter was compromised and two because it had just been violated by the annoying monk that had been following him. The men of our family was cursed from then on, the eldest man getting a void in their hand. Both my grandfather and father were destroyed by it and unless I kill the one who did this to us, so will it take me." Miroku looked up into Inuyasha's face and studied him, "I don't exactly know why I wanted to tell you the whole story, stranger but I have. I have told you more than my dearest friends know. Who are you and why was I compelled to tell you?" Inuyasha shrugged.

"My name is Inuyasha," he said looking at Miroku, "I have been searching for something and was told to come here and find the man with the demon curse. I'm going to help you kill this demon that did this to you." Miroku raised an eyebrow.

"Why? What are you looking for?" Inuyasha's eye ticked.

"It's none of your damn business monk!" he yelled. Inuyasha drew a hand through his hair trying to restrain his ever present anger, "What is the name of this demon of yours?"

"His name is Naraku." Inuyasha looked up in surprise. 'Naraku? Now where have I heard that name before?' Miroku looked at him strangely. "Do you know the name?" Inuyasha shook his head. "Huh, oh well. If you help me with this then I will help you as well. What is it you are looking for, or at least, what does it do?" Inuyasha snarled.

"It doesn't concern you monk!" Inuyasha didn't want the monk to know about the wish. The wish was his, and his alone. Miroku smiled knowingly.

"Ah, so I am not the only one infatuated with women, eh?" Inuyasha balked. Suddenly a flash of a bright smile and raven hair crossed his mind. 'Where'd she come from?' Inuyasha could tell he was blushing.

"I'm right aren't I, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha's faced turned even more red, only this time from anger.

"You know nothing monk!" Inuyasha stood up and stormed to the door, "Be ready to leave this place in 2 hours time. I want to find this demon and kill it as soon as possible. I'll meet you at the western market by the Lady Myato's tent." Miroku's eyes widened in surprise, but Inuyasha didn't notice as he had already left the dirty inn.


	4. The Female Card, Lesson 1

Hey! Here is chapter 3. Sorry if this chapter took too long. Should i make it sooner? or is this speed ok? Haven't started chapter 4 other than what's in my head. I'll get on it I swear. I don't have work tomorrow so i'll be able to spend some time on it. have fun and please R & R

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**Chapter 3: The Female Card: Lesson 1**

Kagome breathed in deep and looked at the sky above her. She had just gotten back home a few minutes ago and already the sun was heating up. She liked how the air changed with the warming of the sun. She could taste spring in the air and she smiled. She loved the spring. She loved watching the plants wake from their slumber and stretch their arms to the sun. Spring was the time of rebirth, the most loved time for her family. Lost in thought, she didn't hear as someone came up behind her. She squealed when a twig whacked her on the shoulder.

"Kagome…why aren't you doing your chores?" a raspy voice said from behind her. Kagome blushed and gripped the broom that lay in her hand forgotten as she turned to her grandfather. Her grandfather had once been a tall and proud man, but time had slumped his shoulders and weathered his skin. He tried to remain stern but she could see a smile twinkle in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Gramps, I just got distracted by the spring weather. It's just so beautiful today!" she's gestured to the sky and the trees that had caught her attention. Kagome's grandfather smiled at her and shook his head. Kagome had been getting more and more sidetracked during her chores these past few weeks. He knew spring was a special time for her as well as for the rest of the family. It was the time when they had finally become whole. Gramps turned to look where Kagome was looking as he patted her on the back.

"Ok, Kagome, I think that's enough. Go ahead and enjoy the morning, just remember to be back before noon." Kagome stared at her grandfather. She had barely dented the pile of chores that she had to do today, but her 'honor your responsibilities' grandfather was letting her off? Kagome's face brightened with her smile as she hugged her grandfather then ran off into the forest. Her grandfather chuckled as he picked up her discarded broom and started where she had left off.

Kagome ran into the forest as far from her grandfather as she could before he could change his mind. A light hearted giggle escaped her lips as she ran through the trees. Kagome had always loved to run, to feel the wind flip back her hair and to see the colors streak by. Sometimes she could almost make herself believe that she was flying through the forest instead of just running through it.

She ran as fast as she could until she burst through a thick batch of trees into a clearing. She smiled to herself as she looked around at what she had once decided was her secret place. The clearing was large with a spring taking up the center of it. A stream led to and from the forest. It gurgled cheerily over the stones as it cascaded down a few feet into the spring. There were stones marking the mouth and encircling the spring that led to grass and flowers. The white and blue flowers were dotted all around the clearing along with patches of clovers. Kagome breathed in deeply. The clearing always smelled so good. The thick trees that surrounded the clearing, like a natural built wall from prying eyes, kept the enticing scents from the clean water and the soft flowers from escaping too quickly into the rest of the forest.

Kagome sat down next to the pond and took off her zoris and tabis. Made sure her hakama didn't get in the water then she let her feet dangle in the spring. She sighed and thought about how lovely it would be to go swimming. She frowned. She hadn't brought anything proper to wear in the spring and didn't want to get her robes drenched. A wicked smile spread across her face as an idea came to her. She looked on either side of her seeing if anyone was there. 'No one ever comes here. I think I'd be safe, and if not I could just tuck underneath the water or the water fall!' with her mind made up Kagome stood up and took off her clothes folding them neatly and setting them to where she could reach them easily from the water if needed. With that she slipped quietly into the water enjoying the adrenaline that coursed through her from doing something risky. She swam out a bit and smiled at the feel of the pure spring water moving across her skin. She could feel the stream water and the spring water coming from below mingling as it followed its way back to the forest. Kagome slipped under water swimming back to the ponds edge. When she came up she let her cool, wet hair fall away from her face as she leaned against the rock and closed her eyes letting the sun's rays from above warm her face as it warmed the water.

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Inuyasha was walking through the forest that lay on the outskirts of the city. He had had enough of the human stench that had enveloped him.

He was far into the woods. He had sped away from that monk and his slutty inn as soon as he could. He wanted, no he needed a bath. That place had made him feel dirty and all he did was sit on the stool and have a beer. Although, who knows what sick things have happened on those stools. He shuddered involuntarily.

Inuyasha raised his nose in the air and sniffed. He could smell a bit of water up ahead. It was probably a spring of some sort or a small pond. He sighed gratefully as he began walking purposefully in the direction that his nose pointed out for him.

He almost regretted going to that hag in the market. Why'd she have to point him in the direction of such a womanizing monk? He could smell all the different females he had been around. It was a dazed mesh of smells that made him want to cross his eyes and gag. Inuyasha shook his head to get the memories of that vulgar place out of him. Suddenly his ear twitched and he looked up. A soft sound was coming from up ahead. It sounded like singing.

_Mm my baby what do you see in the sky. Mm my pretty baby, what do you see?_

Inuyasha bounded quietly to where the singing was coming from. The tune was so familiar he could almost hum along. It was a woman singing softly. Without his demon ears, though they covered, he wouldn't have heard her.

_Are the clouds smiling at you, are the stars shining for you? _

He moved quietly between closely knit trees and saw a clearing beyond.

_Mm my pretty baby what do you see?_

It was a large clearing with a spring in the center and a small waterfall carrying a stream through it. Inuyasha caught the familiar scent as his gaze locked onto the woman in the spring, her eyes in slits looking at the clear sky above.

_Do you want to fly high in the sky, let my love give you wings._

Inuyasha stood there as if turned to stone. He knew this lullaby.

_Follow your dreams where ever they lead. Let my love give you wings._

It haunted his dreams and his nightmares.

_Mm my baby why do you smile? Mm pretty baby what do you see?_

The last song sung by his mother.

_Is it cuz your full of joy? Let me share your smile, mm my baby just between you and me._

He made a choked sound as the memories of his mother, both happy and sad, played before him. He didn't notice the woman had stopped singing, or that she was skinny dipping.

Kagome turned from her thoughts at the sound behind her. A man was standing on the outskirts of the clearing staring at her with an odd look on his face. Kagome squealed and he suddenly broke from his staring to cover his head. She reached over the bank and grabbed the first thing that came to her hand, her shoe. She screamed "Hentai!" at the same time as she whipped her shoe in his direction. He looked up just as the shoe beamed him right in the eye knocking him on his back.

Kagome fumed as she ducked her body under the water so that only her head showed. _Who does this guy think he is sneaking up on me? _Staring_ at me!_ Kagome watched cautiously in the direction of the man who she had hit, with awesome aim might she add, and waited for him to get up. And waited…and waited…and waited. Her anger had slipped to concern. _What if I really hurt him? What if he has some disease where if he gets hit in the head he dies? What if I _killed_ him!_ Without thinking another thought she bounded out of the stream to the fallen man forgetting her propriety.

Inuyasha lay stunned on the ground his eye throbbing. He was confused and didn't want to get hit again so he just lay there. _How does she know my mothers song?_ He wondered. _Did she know my mother? Is this some sort of sick trick?_ Inuyasha rubbed his sore eye unconsciously. He heard footsteps but didn't move to see what the girl was doing. He was surprised when her face came into view. He remembered where he had seen her before. It was the girl from the streets, the one who had smiled at him. And now she looked down at him with such concern.

"Are you ok?" she asked softly.

"I…uh…" He noticed then that she was leaning over him, completely nude. He felt a blush rise on his cheeks as he looked away quickly. "Um…ah, well…" The girl looked confused for a second then looked down at herself. Her shocked eyes shot back up. She screamed and covered herself with her arms. Inuyasha looked back at her in surprise of her scream.

"Hentai!" she screamed again and slapped him as hard as she could before running to where her clothes still lay. Inuyasha felt his annoyance kick in. He sat up but turned his back on the girl as she put her clothes back on, his blush still in place. He could hear her behind him even though the sounds were muffled by the wig over his ears. He could tell when she was finished getting dressed and knew she was just staring at him.

He was crouching in a weird frog-like manner. He wore a red hitoe haori and through the slits on the side she could see a white kimono underneath. He had long black hair that didn't seem natural to her. His body was stiff and she knew he was uncomfortable. Her embarrassment and anger lessened. She sighed and walked over to him to get her other zori. As she got closer his shoulders drew together as if wounded dog expecting to be hit from behind. Kagome suddenly felt terrible for hurting him.

"I'm sorry, sir, for hurting you. I pray that there isn't any permanent damage."

"Feh, like a puny _girl_ like you could hurt _me_." Kagome could feel a vein tick above her eye. She took a deep breath in, then let it out.

"Well then," she said between slightly clenched teeth, "I'll just be taking back my shoe." She reached to grab her zori that lay beside Inuyasha. Before she could grab it he put his hand upon it. She looked at his hands with surprise. He had claws. She looked up at him with curiosity.

"Who are you?" She asked. He looked back at her in surprise.

"Why do you want to know?" She kneeled next to him with eagerness written all over her face.

"Are you a demon?" she asked excitedly. He raised one eyebrow.

"If I was, shouldn't you be afraid?" She giggled lightly.

"If there was any reason to be, you would have already given it to me." He looked at her steadily for a long time. Then finally he sighed.

"I'm a hanyou." He said grumpily. Her eyes brightened.

"Is that black hair your real hair?" She was leaning towards him. He stared into her dark brown eyes. She smiled warmly liking the unusual gold of his. He pulled his wig off showing off long silver hair and white dog ears peaking through the silver locks. She squealed in delight, and reached out to touch his ears. Inuyasha just stared at her in surprise. She looked down at him when she realized what she was doing. She blushed.

"Um, can I touch your ears?" He looked at her with suspicion.

"Uh…" she gave him a pouty look and he found himself saying, "Ok." She smiled brightly and rubbed his ears. She bit back a laugh as his eyes closed and she could almost swear that he purred. He didn't know why he felt so comfortable with her, why his defenses were down. He couldn't grasp why he was letting this strange girl, one whose name he didn't even know, touch his ears. But it felt so damn _good_ to finally relax with someone. And it didn't hurt that she smelled like spring. Or that her soft brown eyes complemented the rest of her beautiful face. Her fingers left his ears and only then did he realize he had closed his eyes. He looked up at her pink tinged face. She held out her hand.

"My name's Kagome." He looked at her hand for a second then took it in his, careful not to mark her with his claws.

"I'm Inuyasha." She smiled that wonderful smile again.

"Nice to meet you, Inuyasha. Would you like to come back to my house and have some lunch? It's nearly noon and I need to return," he shrugged, "We'll be having Ramen." His ears twitched and she bit her lip trying not to squeal how cute he was sitting there like a puppy with his ears twitching. "So you wanna join me?"

"Ok."

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and then Toppers, the magical technologicalpocketrobot with his top hat came out and said "Whatever, bitches." and tap danced away.

haha that's for megan!

Please, Read and Review! should the chapters be longer? tell me what you think.


	5. Female, Lesson 2

Hey everyone. Sorry it took so long. I'll try to be better with it. This one is a wee bit overly descriptive, but I've never read a story that describes the shrine, and I had fun looking it up and so I'm making you read it! Mua hahahahaha! I bounce back and forth between Japanese and English translations of the words. Hope that doesn't confuse you too much! And action will be occurring soon…. I hope. Thanks for reading!

Thanks Lisa! I was wondering if they were too short, but then I didn't want to bore people with them being too long. I'll work on it. Thank you.

Honden: main hall

Haiden: gathering hall

Ema: Is a wall where visitors place their wishes on wooden plaques and pray for them to be granted.

Temizuya: purification fountain

Komainu: guardian animals of a Shinto shrine

Kaguraden: stage for traditional dances and Noh plays

Torii: Shinto pillars showing the entrance

Please review!

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Chapter 5: Female part 2

The Higurashi shrine was large but not formidable. When Inuyasha had taken his first bare foot step on the shrines grounds, all of his anxieties seemed to melt away. He guessed that's what Kagome had done to him in the clearing. He had never been so calm with anyone before. Normally getting smacked in the face by a sandal left him pissed off, but he didn't even swear at her. Inuyasha looked over at the slender form that was a little bit ahead of him. He would have to be cautious of that one. A stranger who could get him to feel comfortable immediately was dangerous. He grinned as his gaze lowered to her back side. Even if she was dangerous, she wasn't hard to look at. He quickly averted his gaze forward when she turned to him and smiled.

"Welcome to the Higurashi shrine!" It was a normal Shinto shrine with a very large honden that was connected to the haiden. The main hall and offering building had dark pillars and accenting frames with a dark green roof. Inuyasha could see the purification fountain on his left and an ema filled with visitor's wooden plates with their wishes written on them. He could see the Komainu beyond the temizuya and ema. The guardian animals that the Higuarshi's had chosen were dogs without the usual lion-like mane. Inuyasha liked it that their Komainu were proud, honorable dogs.

Down the steps beyond the Komainu was a single Torii painted in the same fashion as the honden and haiden. Beyond the honden and haiden building he could see a very large kaguraden. The stage was made of brilliantly dark mahogany crowned with the same green roof. Despite its beautiful polished sheen, Inuyasha knew that the floor would be scuffed from the traditional dancing and Noh theater performances that would go on in such a fantastic theater.

Inuyasha turned away from the front of the shrine and began following Kagome to the rear. As they passed behind the main hall and offering building, he could see that several of the trees around the grounds were covered in omikuji. The fortune slips were tied like deserted tears across the yard. Inuyasha turned away from the slips claiming different degrees of curses and found himself staring at the largest tree he had ever seen. There was a very short fence encircling the tree to keep visitors away. A shimenawa was also tied around the giant tree proclaiming it sacred. Inuyasha didn't know why, but the tree gave him a very uneasy feeling. He didn't necessarily feel dread, it was more like a lethargic loneliness overcame him.

Inuyasha felt the calming effects of the shrine evaporating and quickly followed Kagome to the one story home that must contain her family. It looked a little bit shabbier than the rest of the shrine, but that was to be expected. They must attend Kami first and themselves second.

Kagome slid the door to the entrance hall and called out to her family saying that she was home as she took of her zoris. She knocked on a door to the right a little ways from the entrance before heading down the hallway to the dining room. Inuyasha sniffed and smelled a young boy beyond the door. Across from the boys room was another door that radiated Kagome's sweet scent. There was only one more door down the hallway that was slightly opened to reveal the bath. It was only the tub, the toilet would be in an outhouse in the back.

Inuyasha followed Kagome into the main room that was at the end of the hallway. The main room was a living room/dining room. In the center of the room was a short table with five seats, though the left head of the table wasn't set. There were cushions at each of the places, two on one long end and one seat at all the other sides. Straight ahead there were two doors that took up most of the wall. They would open up to the backyard where there would be a small storage house and the outhouse.

To the left of the entrance was a large cabinet that had wooden drawers and doors. It was made of the same deep mahogany as the table and the rest of the shrine. There were reflecting doors on both the right and the left walls. He could smell that an elderly male lived on the left and a woman was on the right. Inuyasha could smell food coming from his direct right and looked to see an opening that led to the kitchen. The kitchen was well stocked with proper utensils and lots of food. There was a fireplace on the outer wall of the kitchen that had a cauldron brewing above it. A woman was stirring the ramen that was in the cauldron. Kagome walked into the kitchen and kissed the woman on the cheek.

"Hey mama, I'm back. I'm glad to see that you guys didn't start without me." Kagome's mom smiled at her daughter.

"Well of course not! If we had done that, Souta and your grandfather would have eaten it all before you even got here." Kagome's mother chuckled, "Who is this dear?" She asked as she finally noticed Inuyasha's stiff form. Kagome was suddenly glad Inuyasha had insisted on wearing his silly wig. Her mother most likely wouldn't have been as kind to a hanyou. Kagome smiled.

"This is Inuyasha. I met him out in the woods and kinda threw my shoe at him-"

"You did WHAT!" her mother cried, "Dear Kami, I thought I had raised you better!" Kagome's eye ticked.

"I thought he was a peeping tom, so I threw my shoe at him! But he wasn't!" she added quickly seeing the anger in her mothers eyes, "Anyway, to repay my rude behavior, I invited him over for ramen." Kagome's mother smiled.

"That's my girl," She looked over at Inuyasha, "You're welcome to stay for ramen, Inuyasha. Just let my dear Kagome put a setting in the missing spot. Gramps can sit in Dad's spot for now and you kids can figure out where you want to sit." Inuyasha nodded curtly then followed Kagome back to the dining room. She went to the cabinet and opened the 3rd to the lowest drawer. There she took out a bowl, glass and a pair of chopsticks along with another napkin. She set Gramps' new spot then told Inuyasha to sit down anywhere he liked. He chose to sit on the side with only one cushion that faced the two cushion side. Kagome left him and began helping her mother bring out the meal.

Inuyasha just sat Indian style with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the girls fill the bowls with ramen and lay extra rice dishes on the table. When they brought out beverages he turned behind him. He had heard one of the doors slide open and sure enough the young boy had come out of his room. The boy looked to be about 9. He had the same copper eyes as Kagome but his hair was a dark brown whereas hers was black as night. They had the same skin, but his had yet to boast any sort of hardships or work. The boy eyed Inuyasha curiously. He kept his eyes on him as he walked around the table and sat across from him. They both ignored the women shuffling around them and had a staring contest. Finally the boy tilted his head to one side in a characteristically Kagome way.

"Who're you?" he asked rudely.

"Inuyasha, who're you?" Inuyasha copied.

"Souta. What're you doing here?"

"I'm being fed. What are you doing here?"

"I live here, and I'm being fed," he looked at Inuyasha suspiciously, "Does Gramps know you're sitting in his seat?"

"No." Inuyasha stated.

"Where is he going to sit?"

"There." Inuyasha pointed. Souta looked at his fathers place and blinked then looked back at Inuyasha and nodded.

"Makes sense." Souta said.

"Yep." Inuyasha replied. The two boys turned when Kagome and Souta's grandfather came out of his room. Gramps lifted a salt and pepper eyebrow at the boy with red clothes and black hair that sat in his spot.

"Oi, what you doin in my spot?" he interrogated. Inuyasha shrugged.

"They said I could. You sit there." He pointed at the head of the table. Gramps glared at Inuyasha then sat in his new spot. Kagome sat next to her brother while her mother sat opposite of Gramps. Gramps said a quick thanks to the Kami's then everyone grabbed their chopsticks and began eating

"Who's he?" Gramps asked suddenly pointing at Inuyasha. Inuyasha snarled at him as he continued shoveling ramen into his face. Kagome laughed at Inuyasha's manners then turned to her grandfather.

"That's Inuyasha. I invited him over for lunch." Kagome explained. Her grandfather's eyebrows shot up as joy filled his eyes.

"Well, it's about time, Kagome!" He exclaimed. He leaned over and slapped Inuyasha on the back making Inuyasha nearly choke on his ramen.

"Oi! What's the big idea, old man?" He yelled. Gramps just beamed at him.

"Welcome to the family, son!" He cried. Now it was Kagome's time to choke.

"Grampa! It's nothing like that!" she cried her face turning red. Inuyasha just looked disbelieving at Kagome's grandfather and then back at Kagome, his cheeks also tinged with a blush.

"I would _never_ marry _her_!" He exclaimed looking somewhat disgusted. Kagome turned to him with outrage.

"What? Am I not good enough for the likes of _you_!" She cried as she folded her arms over her chest.

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha yelled throwing up his arms, "We've just met! And we have nothing in common! I wouldn't marry a priestess anyway!" Kagome harrumphed.

"And why the hell not? What's wrong with being a Miko?" Inuyasha shook his head frustratingly.

"Just think about what you just said, and what you know about me. Hmm, I wonder why I wouldn't want to marry a Miko!" Kagome put her finger to her cheek mouthing a silent 'Oh' as realization dawned on her. Miko's take out demons. Kagome's family just looked between her and Inuyasha with confusion. Kagome's mother just smiled brightly and changed the subject.

"So, Inuyasha, what brings you to our city? I don't believe I've ever seen you before, and I do have a knack for remembering faces." She said winking at him. Inuyasha shrugged.

"I'm helping some monk destroy a demon." He said with a bit of arrogance. Souta glanced up at him with awe and Kagome's mother stared with surprise. Gramps was just nodding.

"Do you know the name of this demon? Perhaps I can help." Inuyasha looked at him doubtfully.

"And what could you offer, old man? I bet you can barely fight a child, much less a demon!" Gramps straightened his back.

"I just happen to be a priest with powerful spells against demons!" Kagome rolled her eyes, "In fact, I can sense a demon a mile away!" he boasted. Inuyasha snorted.

"I highly doubt that." Kagome giggled. Her grandfather just pouted.

"Just tell me its name." he demanded. Inuyasha shrugged casually.

"Some guy named, Naraku, or something like that." Everyone at the table, except Inuyasha, froze, surprise written on all their faces. Inuyasha noticed the silence and looked at them with their chopsticks just before their mouths and their eyes bugging out. "What?" he asked.

"Did you say…Naraku?" Kagome questioned.

"Yeah? What of it?" The family looked around nervously and finally Kagome's grandfather leaned back and cleared his throat.

"Our family has a history with that demon." He stated simply.

"What kind of history? What do you know of him?" Inuyasha asked, finally finding something interesting to talk about. Kagome's grandfather became very serious.

"He is no ordinary demon. He can change his features at will and is extremely powerful even though most would think he was weak because of what he is."

"And what is he?"

"He is a hanyou, Inuyasha. A mere half-demon," Inuyasha's eyes narrowed but Gramps didn't notice, "And he didn't start off that way, either. When he was human something terrible happened to him and he decided to gather as much power as possible. In doing so he sought after some object and wished for this power. But because he wasn't clear on the wish and because the object knew of his evil, it decided to make him a hanyou instead of the demon he had truly desired to be." Gramps leaned towards Inuyasha, "Our family used to be the keepers of that object." He whispered. Inuyasha felt excitement fill him.

"The Mikaito." He said. Gramps eyes widened.

"Why, yes! How did you know?" Inuyasha shrugged.

"Lucky guess?" he lied. Gramps nodded and accepted the answer.

"Since you know of the Mikaito you must know that there have been more than one at a time," Inuyasha nodded, "What you don't know is that Naraku has used all but one of those! Think how powerful he must be now!"

"Where is the last one?" Inuyasha asked eagerly. Kagome's grandfather shook his head sadly.

"Alas, since we could not protect the other Mikaito, we were forbidden to protect the last. It is lost to this family, Inuyasha." Inuyasha sat back dejectedly, "But fear not! We shall send help with you to defeat this evil demon!" Inuyasha looked at him doubtfully.

"And what could you give me that would help?" Gramps beamed at him.

"Why, Kagome, of course!" Inuyasha and Kagome both stared at him.

"WHAT?" they both yelled.

"There's no way I'm going with that…that baka!" she screamed.

"Well there's no way I'd take a weak human along with me! I've already got to put up with that stupid monk, I'm not going to put up with a wench too!" Kagome glared at him with her hands on her hips.

"What? I'm not good enough for you?"

"No, you're not!"

"You asshole!"

"Kagome! Don't talk to guests like that!" her mother yelled.

"What? He is!" she said exasperatedly motioning in Inuyasha's direction. Inuyasha just smiled smugly in her direction.

"Tsk, tsk, Kagome, being mean to little ol' me. You're the one who invited me!"

"Yeah, well, that's just 'cause I beat you up and felt bad about it."

"You're still not coming with."

"Yes, I am!"

"No, you're not!"

"Yes I am!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"NEVER!" he yelled slapping his hand on the table. Kagome sat back with a glint in her eye.

"If you don't take me with, I'll tell everyone I meet about your secret." Inuyasha glared at her and she just looked back nonchalantly. They had a short staring contest that ended up with Inuyasha realizing she wasn't going to be intimidated. He turned away with his arms crossed.

"Blackmailer." He growled. She smiled brightly.

"Damn straight!" she stood up from the table, "I'm going to go pack. Souta, it's your turn for dishes." Souta aw-ed and looked to his mom for help but all she did was shrug in his direction. After Kagome left and Souta and his mom had taken the dishes away to be cleaned, Gramps turned to Inuyasha.

"You best take care of my granddaughter, Inuyasha. She may be powerful, but she is still human." Inuyasha looked at him blandly.

"Then why'd you suggest I take her, old man?"

"Because she is a miko, idiot. You may have convinced my daughter and my grandson that you're human, but I know you're not," Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, "Kagome trusts you and she has good instincts. They have never let her down and there is nothing I trust more. Listen to my granddaughter and take heed. She is…special." Inuyasha laughed.

"Special how?" Gramps sneered.

"Special powerful, not special stupid. You are a baka, aren't you?" Inuyasha shrugged.

"I'm gonna go wait outside. Send her out when she's done." Gramps nodded and watched the unusual boy leave. _This better be a good idea. _He thought.

Inuyasha stood facing the shrine waiting for Kagome to finally come out of her house. He wondered briefly why he was even letting her come, when her scent drifted to him. He turned around and widened his eyes in surprise at what he saw. This was definitely not the same dainty girl he had seen before.

She stood before him with her hair long and wild framing her face and her angry eyes. She no longer wore the chaste outfit of a priestess. She wore soft boots that had decent soles but would allow her to walk quietly. They reached up to just below her knee and were tied there by a black ribbon that crisscrossed all the way to the top. She had tight black pants on that reached to a fitted dark green shirt whose sleeves were cut off at the top of her shoulders and went up to her neck. It had buttons that went from the side of her neck then curved under her arm and followed all the way down along her side. She had gloves on that didn't cover her fingers and led from her knuckles all the way up to a few inches from her armpit. A green ribbon was tied to the top of the gloves keeping them secured.

She had a bow in one hand and two straps crossing the same direction across her chest. One strap led to her quiver filled with arrows and the other led to a satchel. She had two swords hooked to her left side and a dagger sheath was tied to her right leg holding a six inch blade. Needless to say she didn't look helpless. In fact, she was kinda intimidating. Her smoldering eyes smiled at him as he stared.

"Like what you see?" she asked a laugh playing at her lips. Inuyasha turned a bit pink as he turned away from her and crossed his arms muttering a 'feh' in her direction.

"What's in the bag?" he asked as he walked away from the house. Kagome sighed then fell into step behind him. The shrine steps led straight into town. It would only take them a few minutes to get to Lady Myato's tent.

"I've got some food rations and water along with a blanket, cloak, soap, cleaning supplies for my blades and flint. I didn't know what supplies you had so basically I just grabbed everything I would if I were going alone. Oh, I also have some first aid, but not a lot so we might have to stop somewhere and get some more if we're really planning on attacking this Naraku guy, I hear he's really bad news. And he sounds strong."

"Meh, he'll be a piece of cake. I'm stronger than him." He boasted. Kagome rolled her eyes behind him.

"Have you even met the guy?" Inuyasha shook his head, "Then don't go making claims you can't back up. You may be half-demon, but so is he." Inuyasha sniffed the air a little and smelled her fear, and anger. Usually he would just go off on her telling her she was a stupid wench and he could defeat anything, but he didn't. Instead, Inuyasha relaxed his shoulders and slowed down until they were walking side by side.

"I can smell your fear, Kagome. If you don't want to come, you don't have to." Kagome sneered and looked at the ground.

"Of course I'm scared. I saw what happened when he got the Mikaito. It wasn't pretty."

"You mean you saw what happened when he killed the Mikaito." She looked at him in surprise.

"How do you know they were a who and not a what?" she asked. He smiled at her mischievously.

"Doesn't matter. But seriously, you don't have to come." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You just want me to stay because you don't want me here," She turned away from him and stiffened her back, "Well you can forget it. You're not getting rid of me." Inuyasha just smiled and shrugged as he saw the monk ahead with his back facing them. Miroku was staring at some women across the street and sighing. Inuyasha shook his head.

"Hey, monk! What you staring at?" Miroku turned to face them. When he saw Kagome his eyes lit up. He walked towards them quickly and, ignoring Inuyasha, took Kagome's hand in his.

"Why, hello there! What is your name, my dear, beautiful woman?" Kagome blushed a little.

"Uh, my name is Kagome." She said a little unsure. Miroku smiled even wider.

"Kagome! That is a beautiful name, it almost does you justice. My name is Miroku," he bowed his head a little, "Lady Kagome may I ask you a question?"

"Um, sure."

"Will you bear me a child?" Inuyasha and Kagome just stared at him.

"Eh?" Kagome asked as Miroku drew her into his arms.

"I am cursed, dear Lady Kagome. If I die there will be no one to defeat Naraku for my family. I need a son. Please, my lady, will you do me this great honor?" Inuyasha looked as if he was going to murder the monk right there. He took a step forward to do just that when Kagome burst out laughing. She got out of Miroku's arms and held her stomach as her laughter rocked her.

"I'm…haha…I'm sorry…hahaha….It's just…haha… just so random! Hahaha!" She was laughing so hard tears were coming from her eyes. Inuyasha stared at Miroku angrily.

"How dare you ask that, you lech!" Miroku shrugged as he smiled down at Kagome in good humor. Kagome shook her head trying to get the laughter down she turned to Inuyasha the laughter still dancing in her eyes.

"What do you care, Inu? You actually want me to stay?" The look she gave him made him blush as he turned away.

"No! Of course not, you'll only get in the way!" She rolled her eyes at him.

"Fine then, Inuyasha." She said and turned to Miroku, "No, I will not bear your child. Besides, you could have at least bought me dinner first!" Miroku smiled at her and nodded.

"Heh, I'll remember that for next time." He shrugged while Inuyasha yelled 'next time!' behind them. "Until then, may I please be your escort, m'lady?" He held his arm for her to take. She giggled and did a small curtsey before taking his arm in hers.

"At least _some_body in this group is a gentleman." She laughed eyeing Inuyasha pointedly.

"Shall we?" Miroku asked.

"Of course!" Kagome replied, "Just remember to keep your hands to yourself, Miroku, _if _ you want to keep them that is." They walked ahead of Inuyasha who shook his head and not for the first, or even the fifth, time that day he wondered if any of this was a good idea. Probably not.

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YAY! Finally got this chapter done! Whew, that took FOREVER! Sorry, I had writers block and got Kingdom Hearts 2 so I figured Sora needed me more than Inu. But I did get 'er done and here she is! I hope she was alright. Tell me what you thought about this chapter! It's way longer than normal, hope that's ok!

R&R please!


	6. The Damaged City

Bah, took a long time, woopsies. Enjoy!

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Cursed Blood Chapter 5 the damaged city

They had been traveling for a few days searching for news of the demon, Naraku. It was the night of their third day. Each one of the travelers were positioned around their blazing fire making a triangle around it. Kagome was lying on her side propped up by her elbow while Miroku and Inuyasha sat up one sitting straight up and the latter hunched forward his ears twitching sporadically listening to the sounds of the forest. Kagome sighed for about the fourth time in about twenty minutes. Inuyasha noticed this and glared at her.

"Oi, what you sighin' about?" Inuyasha growled.

"I'm bored. We've done nothing but interrogate people about Naraku. You've probably scarred that last family for life! Didn't it occur to you that they might actually be telling the truth? That they might not be lying about not knowing any demons, let alone one named Naraku?" Inuyasha growled even if he couldn't defend himself. He was just frustrated that they had no idea where this Naraku was, and if they couldn't find Naraku, he would never find the Mikaito and never get his wish. Inuyasha turned and snarled at Miroku when a pebble hit his head.

"What was that for, monk!"

"You spaced out. We called your name like five times and you didn't even blink." A slight blush tinged Inuyasha's cheeks. _Had they really?_ He was glad that it was dark and they couldn't see his blush.

"Well, what's so important that you had to interrupt my thinking?" Miroku shrugged

"I was just going to suggest that we go to the Hindura village that lies in the west."

"Why would we want to go there? Those people are assholes." Miroku frowned at his obscenities.

"Because I've heard some strange rumors about that place and they really aren't all that bad. They have several lovely maidens residing there." Inuyasha and Kagome rolled their eyes. Only two days with this guy and they've already seen too many accounts of his lechery.

"Leave the poor women alone, Miroku!" Kagome said, "But I agree with him, Inuyasha. It was the only thing we could get out of all those other places we've visited. Hindura is the only place where weird things are happening." Inuyasha shrugged. He wouldn't admit it, but he didn't like going into the west. He knew a few demons there that he wouldn't regret never seeing again in his life. He looked between Kagome and Miroku who were glaring at him.

"Fine!" he yelled throwing up his hands, "We'll go to that blasted city." Kagome and Miroku shared a smile then went back to staring at the fire. Miroku stretched his arms over his head letting his joints crack in response. He lay down on his side and wrapped his blanket around him. He waved at them from under the blankets without opening his eyes.

"I'm going to sleep. You guys should too. Hindura isn't _that_ far away, but if this feeling in my gut is right, it'll be a long day tomorrow." He yawned then drifted off to sleep. It wasn't long before his breathing was slow and regular. Seeing that he was asleep Kagome got up and sat next to Inuyasha. He looked at her with a quizzical stare, one eyebrow raised.

"I've been meaning to ask this" she whispered, "but does he know what you are?" Inuyasha snorted.

"Of course not! You think I go around telling everyone I meet saying 'Hi there, I'm Inuyasha, a dog demon! Oh wait, scratch that, half demon. Get your torches and pitch forks ready. Here I come!' Yeah right. I wouldn't even have had _you_ know but you just had to be miss smarty-pants and figure it all out. Jerk." Kagome shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh…sorry 'bout that. Do you think he knows though? He is a monk, after all. You'd think he'd be able to sense your demonic powers." Inuyasha shrugged.

"As long as he doesn't go blabbin' about it to everyone, I don't really care." Kagome nodded and stood up to go back to her previous spot. Before she lay back down to go to sleep, she looked at Inuyasha one last time.

"You know, you don't have to worry. I know I used your secret as blackmail, but really you wouldn't have let me come if I hadn't, but I promise I won't ever tell unless you wanted me to. Your secret's safe with me." Inuyasha couldn't hide his surprise as she lay down. He watched her until he knew she had fallen asleep.

What was up with her? She was so…nice. If he had a secret of hers he'd sure as hell be blackmailing her till the day she died. And he bet that she was one of _those_ people. The ones where promises mean something and almost nothing would break them of their oath. Inuyasha scoffed at her.

Nobility, what was the point? Most of the noble people end up becoming martyrs. How was a silly martyr going to help him find the Mikaito? According to his research the last Mikaito to be used was around ten years ago. Kagome would have been a small child. What could she remember about the Mikaito when all but one were murdered so long ago? Anyway, her old man said that they didn't even know where the Mikaito was. It didn't make any sense that she'd be the one to help him find the Mikaito.

Inuyasha growled and ran his fingers through his hair. Guess he'll just have to wait and see. He looked at Kagome one more time before propping himself up against a tree and closed his eyes for the night. His ears continued turning every now and again constantly on alert for danger.

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They had awoken just as the sun was rising. With Inuyasha pushing them along, they had eaten breakfast, packed up camp and were on their way within the hour. Miroku picked the pace giving them about four hours to go before they got to Hindura. Inuyasha kept grumbling that if he had got to pick the pace they'd be there in two. Kagome reminded him that he got to pick the pace when they first started and it had nearly killed the other two.

Inuyasha smirked remembering the two humans chasing after him with red faces and any time they finally stopped, Kagome would collapse to the ground gasping for air like a fish out of water. Kagome stuck her tongue out at him guessing his thoughts. This just made Inuyasha's smirk turn into a full blown toothy grin and had Miroku shaking his head.

When the time was almost up Inuyasha stopped them and sniffed the air. A growl emerged low in his throat as the scents of Hindura reached him. Miroku looked at him with an eyebrow raised while Kagome leaned into him looking worried.

"What is it?" Kagome whispered, his growl making the hair on her neck stand on end.

"Can't you smell it?" He asked gruffly. Kagome repressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"_No, _obviously." Inuyasha looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I smell blood, lots of it. And something else…it stinks." Kagome looked in the direction of Hindura.

"Oh, no. Quick!" Kagome took off with Inuyasha and Miroku right behind her. When they burst through the line of trees, Kagome gasped. She had figured there would be some destruction, but she hadn't anticipated such devastation.

Smoke was unfurling into the sky. Most of the buildings were destroyed and those that weren't had scorch marks as well as gashes torn through the wooden walls. There were large tears in the ground like a giant claw had raked through it. Blood and water drenched the ground and standing houses.

"Do…do you think anyone…survived?" Kagome whispered. Miroku walked up beside her putting a supporting hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know. And I'm not sure if I hope that some are alive or not." Kagome looked at him with surprise.

"What do you mean?" she asked in shock. He smiled sadly.

"While I don't wish their death, I wouldn't wish them the memories of the destruction of their city or the death of their neighbors. They would have heard the screams of the murdered. No I don't think I'd wish them alive or dead." Kagome shuddered.

"Maybe there were some who weren't here and came back later?" Inuyasha suggested.

"I don't know, but there aren't any bodies, thank Kami, so somebody has to still be alive." Kagome interjected.

"Or the demon could have just eaten the bodies." Miroku looked at Inuyasha.

"You're sure it's a demon?" he asked. Inuyasha glared at him.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's a nasty one too." He looked back at the destroyed village, "I can smell it all over this place. It's nauseating." Kagome gripped her bow in one hand and a sword hilt in the other.

"Well, we're not going to find out anything by just standing here. Let's go see if anyone's home." Kagome took a few tentative steps forward while Inuyasha and Miroku walked past her. She took a deep breath and proceeded into the unknown carnage.

Once they were walking down the streets, Inuyasha put his arm over his nose. The stink was almost tangible. Even Miroku and Kagome were having issues with the tainted air. They looked into windows and knocked on doors checking to see if anyone was around. They tried opening the doors as well. The ones that were locked they left alone and the ones that weren't they searched for clues.

After an hour or so they had canvassed the entire village, leaving only the market and the lord's mansion that lay on a hill that surveyed the city. Inuyasha began growling at their lack of success.

"If only I could smell something other than death. I'm sure there are _some_ people still around here."

"Maybe if we found some graves, or some, I don't know, remains or something?" Kagome suggested. Inuyasha shrugged.

"Do you think you could attempt to scent them out?" Miroku suggested, "What will happen if you try?" Inuyasha sneered behind his arm.

"I don't know. If the smell is too strong I'd be useless. Strong scents completely override my other senses and I can't figure out what's what." 'Huh' was all Miroku could mutter.

"Sometime you'll have to explain how smells work for you, Inuyasha." Kagome said quietly trying to get her mind off of the ghost town. Inuyasha looked at her strangely.

"Why the hell would you want to talk to me about my sense of smell?"

"Well, I don't know!" Kagome said throwing up her arms, "You make smelling sound important. It isn't all that important for me. I'm sure I'd be fine even without my sense of smell." Inuyasha shuddered.

"Kami, that'd be horrible." Miroku stopped and looked at Inuyasha. Kagome and Inuyasha took a few more steps before stopping and looking back at him.

"What is it Miroku?" Kagome asked.

"Despite the demonic aura that engulfs this place, I can still feel Inuyasha like a sore thumb," Kagome sent Inuyasha a worried look but he didn't even acknowledge her, he just stared at Miroku blankly waiting for what he wanted. Miroku sighed, "Are you a demon?" Inuyasha was about to reply when a shriek came from a house nearby. An elderly man came bursting out of his home with a pitch fork in hand.

"Ah crap." Was all Inuyasha could mutter before the man started to yell.

"A demon! Kill it! Kill it! Everyone there's another demon! We must destroy it before it steals what's left of our children!" he yelled a battle cry then started charging at the group.

"What did I tell you about people and pitch forks?" Inuyasha said quietly to Kagome. Kagome gave a strained smile then stepped in the way of the charging man.

"That's not safe." Whispered Miroku behind her. She ignored him and put her hands up showing she meant no harm and gave the insane man her most open smile.

"Please sir, you misheard. Inuyasha isn't a demon, in fact he's from my shrine," The man stopped before her and stared her down with what I'm sure he thought was an intimidating look. Other people were opening their doors and windows to look at what all the disturbance was about, "What the monk was sensing was Inuyasha's strong spiritual energy. I myself am a miko, and yet my spiritual energy is nearly drowned out by Inuyasha's. Isn't that right, Miroku?" Miroku closed his eyes and held his hand out to her as if sensing a barrier around her. It was a bit too much showmanship but the man seemed to be buying it.

"Yes, you are quite right! I never noticed how strong your aura was before. Inuyasha's completely overcame yours. Astonishing!" Inuyasha shook his head at his theatrics and Kagome's eye twitched. She looked back at the man who seemed to be nodding in agreement with Miroku.

"I see, I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions, I hope there was no offense."

"No offense, old man? You came charging out at me with a pitch fork like some fucking mob!" yelled Inuyasha. Kagome sent him a glare that would have turned fire to ice.

"Inuyasha." She said in warning. He got the message and crossed his arms over his chest angrily. Kagome looked back at the man a warm smile on her face.

"It's alright, we understand the misconception. No harm done," her face turned serious, "What did you mean by steal the rest of your children?" The old man cast his eyes downward and gripped his pitch fork.

"It's a sad tale miss, I wouldn't presume to darken your day with it." Kagome touched a hand to his arm sympathy written across her face.

"Sir, we have seen your village. A demon has terrorized this place and, I think, has taken your children. Please, sir, tell me. Maybe we can help each other." The old man nodded.

"Our lord has been acting strangely for about three months. But only until recently has he gone over the edge. He's been forcing us to send our daughters and sisters to him when he calls for them. When they get taken, they never return," he sighed as he tried to hide the hurt in his eyes, "The last one to be taken was a girl of a prominent and dangerous family. They had originally refused to send her up there. She was an important part of their livelihood. But it was of no use.

She was whisked away in the night, and, if rumors are true, she caused quite the delay killing several of his servants and destroying much of their dignity. When her family awoke to find her gone and the carnage she left behind, they proceeded to claim war on the lord," he motioned to the destruction of the village, "This is the repercussions of their insubordination."

"That's terrible." Kagome whispered. He nodded.

"The entire family was destroyed. We know not what happened to the fiery Sango that the lord had taken. She has not returned and no news of her has ventured here. We presume she is dead as are all of the young women that he has taken." Miroku looked in the direction of the lords mansion. It was surrounded by trees and only a few corners of the roof were visible. A dark aura haunted the vegetation that surrounded the mansion. It pulsed with malice and evil.

"Your lord was probably killed long ago." Miroku whispered, "That is a demon up there, it is no human." Inuyasha nodded in agreement as the older man shook his head sadly.

"We had wondered. Oh Kami, what will we do? That demon will destroy us all!" He looked to Kagome desperately, "We can't leave this place! This is our home. Please, what can we do, Miko-sama?" Kagome sighed and looked up at the mansion then looked to her comrades. They each nodded to her.

"We will kill this false lord, or at the very least drive him from your village. Gather your people and hide in a protected area. Not here, though, unless you have an underground shelter. This battle may be fierce and it may journey into your village, I could not forgive myself if our war killed one of you in the process of defeating this evil." The old man nodded to her.

"There is a large cavern not too far from here in the side of the mountain. We would be safe there." Kagome smiled then raised her head to get a good look at the people who had gathered around them.

"Go now! Gather your most precious belongings and necessities. I don't know how long we will fight. I want you to take blankets, food, water, and anything else that you need for survival. Get to the cavern in the side of the mountain as quickly as possible. Once the demon is gone we will come for you." The people nodded their heads and began gathering their things nervously. A taste of panic was on the air and Kagome only hoped that it stayed at bay until they had all left the city. She turned to her companions with a frown on her face.

"How bad is it?"

"The demon is very strong. He has been feeding off of the girl's energies. Depending on how strong their spirits were, this demon could be quite troublesome." Miroku said clenching his beaded fist about his staff.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked looking at him.

"It has a weird smell. It seems familiar, similar to something from long ago. But I've never come across a demon like this one." Kagome nodded.

"Ok. We should try to find an easy way in. Maybe one of the villagers know a secret passage, or at least a weak point in the mansion. I don't want to have the three of us just charge in there and get attacked by a whole horde of demons and then get cornered and butchered. What do you guys think?" The guys shrugged when a young boy came over to them.

"There is a secret way." He whispered shyly. Kagome smiled at him and kneeled down to him so they were eye to eye.

"Where is it?" she asked kindly. He looked down with a blush.

"It's behind the mill, in the woods," he looked up excitedly, "It's a trap door in the grass next to the big green rock! It leads into the dungeon. They say some prisoner escaped by digging it, only it leads into the main room instead of a cell." She smiled at him and bowed a little to him.

"Thank you, you've made our job much easier. Now please, go to the cavern!" The boy nodded quickly, happy he got to help the three warriors. Kagome stood back up.

"So, you guys ready for this?" Miroku nodded and Inuyasha laughed.

"I was born ready, wench. Question is, are you?" Kagome frowned at the name.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be with the little information we have on this demon." Kagome gripped the longer of her two swords, "Let's go."


	7. More Nobility

Sorry that this has taken me so long. Life got in the way. I might update faster, but I don't know for sure…. Thanks for reading!

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Chapter 7: more nobility

Inuyasha gripped the moss covered iron ring that was slightly buried beside a large green tinged boulder. He grunted a little as he freed the long forgotten trap door from its earthly restraints. A bit of rock and dirt flew up as he let it drop heavily to the other side. The door had revealed roughly made steps dug into the earth that led into nothingness. Kagome took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Shall we?" she questioned. Inuyasha waved her ahead.

"Ladies first." He snickered at her scowl.

"Thanks a lot," she said sarcastically. She unsheathed her sword and began the uneasy decent into darkness. There was no banister and the dark walls of earth were enclosing giving Kagome a very claustrophobic feeling. After about ten steps she could no longer see and preceded cautiously one arm gripping her sword for the ready and the other trailed across the dirt wall for balance. She took her steps slowly testing the next step before actually stepping on it. She could hear Inuyasha growling impatiently behind her.

"You could have gone first, you know." She replied as he growled again as she tested another step.

"The way is fine, wench. You've got three steps to go and they look sturdy enough, stop dawdling and get a move on."

"Well _excuse me_ for not having super vision like the oh so wonderful Inuyasha. It's a little difficult going quickly when all I see is darkness."

"Well if we had something to start a fire with there's a torch up ahead."

"Inuyasha," Miroku said from behind the other two. They jumped a little forgetting for a moment their companion, "How is it that you can see in this darkness?" Inuyasha sighed.

"What do you think?" he asked gruffly.

"You never answered my question from before." Inuyasha slumped his shoulders a little.

"What question?" he asked though he knew full well.

"Are you a demon, Inuyasha?"

"What would you do if I was?" Miroku shrugged.

"I don't know, but at least I would know if I was simply traveling with an evil man or a demon. I'm not sure which I'd prefer." Kagome let out a sigh of relief.

"I've hit the bottom," she turned back to Inuyasha knowing he could see her, "Inuyasha, can you help me, I have some flint in my pack."

"Sure, turn around." She did offering her pack to him. He dug around while trying to decide what to tell Miroku. Kagome turned her head a little to the side as he continued to look.

"Just tell him," she whispered just for him, "He's our companion, he won't do anything that he'll regret later with your secret." Inuyasha nodded even though he knew she couldn't see. He found the flint and gave it to her then reached over and grabbed the torch from the wall and handed that to her as well. He watched her try to light the torch as he spoke.

"I am a half-demon. An Inu-hanyou. Whatchya gonna do about it, monk?" Miroku shrugged.

"Nothing, I suppose. It's almost a comfort knowing I have a half-demon as an ally against another demon. Your secret is safe with me, Inuyasha." Inuyasha looked at him oddly then shrugged and turned away. Humans and their damn nobility.

They continued their way down the cold stone hall until they finally reached the end. The only problem was that the end was just that. The tunnel stopped. They carefully checked every nook and cranny looking for some secret lever or some sign that the tunnel continued in some hidden way.

After about twenty minutes of searching Inuyasha gave an irritated grunt and shoved the torch he had been holding into Kagome's hands. He looked up at the ceiling and sniffed a bit. He sneered then raised his claw as he bent his legs. The other two gaped at him as he launched himself upward and tore a hole into the ceiling of the tunnel.

The darkness was suddenly pierced with a bright light that blinded the humans. True the light was actually fairly dim, but they had been staring in near darkness with but a few flickers of flame to guide them. They blinked away their blindness as the dust and rubble cleared. Inuyasha popped his head through the hole he had made, his dark haired wig dusted grey from his destructive habits.

"We've made it to the dungeon. We're not in a cell or anything so this hole will be fairly easy to see. What're you two waiting for?" Kagome put her hands on her hips and frowned.

"Well sorry for not having super human capabilities. Help us up will ya?" Inuyasha sighed and reached a hand down to her. Miroku cupped his hands so she could step up easier. Kagome gripped Inuyasha's hand and barely tapped Miroku's as she was lifted rather easily through the hole.

"Now you monk." Inuyasha said as he reached down and hefted the other man with as much ease as with the girl. When they were all on the same floor they looked around the dungeon. There were several barred windows in the cells that only a small child could climb through anyway. Most of the doors were open and everything was made of cold stone, even the beds for the captives.

Kagome walked into one and looked around. There was a trickle of water in one corner and a skeleton in the other. Kagome shuddered and quickly walked back out again.

"Where's this girl we're supposed to find? I don't see anyone." She said as she looked about. The place looked unused and forgotten. Inuyasha sniffed the air and walked to one of the other open cells.

"I can smell something other than death coming from in here." He walked through the door and was promptly thrown back again as a foot connected with his face. He sat up as soon as his skid across the floor stopped and gripped his nose. "SHIT! That fucking hurt! What the fuck!" Kagome already had her blade naked in her hand as she approached the cell with Miroku at her side.

"Who's in there?" She yelled. When no one answered she moved to enter the cell but Miroku stuck out his hand blocking her path and he shook his head. Kagome shrugged poutily and watched as Miroku made his way through the stone frame. He looked to his right and his eyes widened right before a large rock fell on his head and he collapsed to the ground.

"Alright, that does it. Come the hell out here and fight fair!" She was surprised when her command was obeyed and their attacker stepped out from the cell. The girl was pretty with her long black tendrils tied back near the top of her head. Her dark eyes burned hate with a sprinkle of revenge. Her teeth were bared as her lips twisted into a snarl as she launched herself at Kagome. Kagome let out a high pitched squeal. She acted without thinking as the other girl flew at her. Kagome pulled out her scabbard and thwacked the attacking girl with it as hard as she could across the face. The girl fell to the side with a hand to her cheek.

"What the hell?" she said, "Why the hell didn't you attack me with your sword? Why the hell did you hit me with the scabbard? What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? Why were you attacking us?" the other girl shrugged.

"You're friends with that bastard who is my enemy therefore you are my enemy as well." Kagome looked between Miroku and Inuyasha before she burst out laughing.

"Shit girl, if you even opened your eyes for a second you'll see that we're barely each others friends let alone that guy that locked you up in here. What's your name?"

"Uh…Sango?" Sango looked between the three companions confusedly, "If you're not bad then what are you doing here?" Inuyasha shrugged.

"We've come to destroy the man who took such a lovely maiden as yourself away from the life and love of her village." Miroku appeared beside her and took her hand in his, "I promise milady that we will protect you and take you back to your home. My word as an honorable monk." He winked just before Inuyasha burst out laughing.

"Look at her face. Oh Kami that was priceless. Monk, I think you're losing your touch!" Sango took her hand away from Miroku slowly as she stared at him suspiciously. Men were trouble you know. She stood up and looked to Kagome.

"So you're here to save me?" Kagome nodded.

"We're also going to go kill the demon posing as your lord." Sango nodded.

"I figured he was as much. Ok I'd like to help." Miroku shook his head.

"Oh no, I couldn't bare it if one as lovely as you were to fall pray to death or being maimed!" Kagome shook her head.

"Shut up Miroku." She turned to Sango, "You're a demon exterminator?" Sango nodded, "Fine then, let's go kick some demon ass." Sango smiled evilly as thoughts of torture for the demon danced in her head. Kagome looked over to Inuyasha who was laughing silently.

"What's so funny?" she asked. He looked at her as humor danced in his eyes.

"You guys. You're so funny! Humans, hahaha." He burst out laughing as Kagome looked at him as if he'd gone clinically insane, which he probably had.

"How were we being funny?" she asked. Inuyasha brushed a tear from his eye and calmed his laughter down.

"You guys are like bobble heads. Every time someone talked to someone else their head would bob up and down or side to side. It was simply comical." Kagome raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Oookaay." She turned away from the still laughing Inuyasha making sure to still watch him out of the corner of her eye, "We best get going. Sango, do you know where your lord is?" Sango nodded as she watched the other man in their group out of the corner of her eye.

" He's up those stairs behind you. I believe he's in his bedroom as he usually is, feasting on the souls of the other women in our village. It's down the hall, fourth door on the left." Kagome looked at her in surprise.

" Well that was really…specific. Thanks."

"No problem."

"Alright then," Kagome clapped her hands together, "Let's go kick some demon butt!" The other three composed themselves and nodded. Kagome turned around and looked up the stairs. What she saw there made her face pale. The stair ceiling was well over twelve feet tall, which was a good thing because what was currently on the stairs was a very, very large ten foot humanoid monster with large muscles and a small head. His teeth were bared in a strange smiling growl that moved his lips while sending a bit of spittle everywhere. He looked big and stupid at first glance but a twinkle of intelligence lit his eyes. Kagome knew right away that this fight would not be easy. She swallowed a couple of times to try to get the fear down a notch.

"So who wants to go first?" she managed.

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So how was that? Read and review please! It may help speed the chapters!


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